Discover Amsterdam’s origins with an official guide. Explore its 17th-century charm, rich culture, and hidden gems. Uncover the city’s secrets and history.
Discover Amsterdam’s origins with an official guide. Explore its 17th-century charm, rich culture, and hidden gems. Uncover the city’s secrets and history.
-
Centraal Station - Neo-Renaissance style building built by architect Pierre Kuiper. For the construction of Amsterdam Central Station it was necessary to build three artificial islands and use more than eight thousand wooden pillars to support the structure.
This train station is very close to the city center and all the trains that connect…
- Centraal Station - Neo-Renaissance style building built by architect Pierre Kuiper. For the construction of Amsterdam Central Station it was necessary to build three artificial islands and use more than eight thousand wooden pillars to support the structure.
This train station is very close to the city center and all the trains that connect Amsterdam with all of Europe leave (and arrive) from it.
-
Beurs van Berlage - La Bours van The first fair in Holland
The first Stock Exchange in the Netherlands was founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1602. They decided to issue shares to finance their maritime activities. However, they needed an exchange building to trade the shares.
In 1896, the city council decided to build a new stock exchange. The Stock Exchange building fell to the architect and urban planner Berlage to design a completely new building, among which the clock tower stands out. Berlage, as a fervent socialist, believed that the Beurshandel would not last long. But he resolved this dilemma intelligently and creatively, he decided to design the new Stock Exchange building in such a way that in the future, after the triumph of socialism, it could serve as a large community house, a people’s palace. He built a de facto kind of symbolic town hall, a “people’s palace” that could temporarily serve as a Stock Exchange.
-
Damrak - The Damrak is the original mouth of the Amstel River. The dam at Amstel created an open seaport called Damrak and an inland port (Rokin) with a market square, Dam Square. The development around the dam formed the basis for it to become a powerful commercial city.
At the beginning of the 13th century, Amsterdam received city rights. Due to increasing trade contacts in the 14th century, mainly with the Scandinavian countries, Amsterdam grew rapidly. Defense walls and mainly commercial houses were built to store grain, wood and beer. The population grew to 3,000 inhabitants.
In the 19th century the canal was filled in, except for the boat docks. Gabled houses with different and ancient architectural styles make this “Damrak” street a trip back to the 17th / 18th century with its Renaissance, Classicist, “Jugendstil” / Art Nouveau facades are among the most picturesque in the city. - Het Damplein - Dam Square is a square in the center of Amsterdam. It is the historic heart of the city and the site of many events of national importance. Dam Square is home to the Royal Palace, the New Church and the National Monument, where National Remembrance Day is celebrated annually. The Royal Palace of Amsterdam is a palace located on Dam Square in the city center of Amsterdam. The palace is used by the Royal Household as a reception palace and is used for exhibitions.
It was built between 1648 and 1665 as a town hall, designed by the architect Jacob van Campen. The structure is considered the most important historical and cultural monument of the Golden Age of the Netherlands.
Nieuwe kerk. The church is used for Dutch royal investiture ceremonies (according to article 32 of the Dutch Constitution), most recently that of King Willem-Alexander in 2013, as well as royal weddings, most recently Willem-Alexander’s wedding to Máxima in 2002.
- In de Waag - The Waag located in the heart of Amsterdam, in the middle of the Nieuwmarkt, surrounded by a canal system. It was built in 1488 as the gateway to the city and was named Sint Antoniespoort. The oldest stone facade in Amsterdam. Sint Antoniespoort, along with Haarlemmerpoort, was considered one of the strongest main gates in Amsterdam. The city, initially quite open, was provided with walls and later with a wall. Throughout the 16th century, the city wall became more than just a physical barrier: over time it became a political, economic and social border. For centuries, the city was hermetically closed to the outside world every evening at half past nine. The soldiers took the keys to the town hall doors and placed them in a special key box. They took the key to this chest to one of the mayors. At dawn, the entire ritual took place in reverse order.
- Red Light District (De Wallen) - The red light district of Amsterdam is famous for its history, its architecture, its cultural life and for being one of the most liberalized neighborhoods in the world in terms of attitudes towards prostitution, drugs and sexual diversity. Known for the shop windows that adorn its very narrow alleys, where prostitutes have carried out their professional activities for centuries. Prostitution is completely regulated in the Netherlands, so that each prostitute is required by law to have private social security contracted (like any Dutch worker), to pay taxes to the state, make tax declarations and all the legal processes to which that a worker or company must carry out to maintain their legal status. They also undergo annual medical check-ups.2
Prostitution establishments are open both day and night, but the maximum influx of public takes place on weekend nights.
-
Kloveniersburgwal, Amsterdam - Some 400 years ago, the canal belt was arguably the most impressive urban sprawl in the world. It is made up of 4 semicircles that extend over 165 channels is enormous, even by today’s standards. The expansion was a combination of a grid city and a fortified city. Trees have been planted along the canals and outside the houses there are many flowering plants, which creates a very pleasant atmosphere.
What is the reason for such enormous urban expansion? Why the famous geometric shape in the form of rings? No other city in Europe experienced such a large population growth. The space problem had to be resolved, planning was not an artistic choice, the canal belt was never built as a “work of art”, but rather “with the best plans taking advantage of the space and the lowest costs.” The main objective was to build houses for the new inhabitants and spend little money. - Bloemenmarkt - The Bloemenmarkt is on the Singel canal. Flowers and plants are displayed on barges that from the outside look like real shops, colorful and fragrant. The barges are lined up with each other, as if they formed a shopping street, they are supported by poles and are full of tulips, daffodils and bulbs of all kinds. The Amsterdam flower market dates back to 1862, when merchants used barges to transport flowers from the suburbs to the city center and displayed the beauty of their colorful flowers along the Singel. This tradition has remained unchanged over time, and even today you can relive the atmosphere of that time and be fascinated and attracted by it. The trade used to be delivered daily by water from nurseries outside the city. The flower market has increasingly become a tourist attraction and the offer consists mainly of flower bulbs and souvenirs. In the past, gondola-type boats brought those flowers.
- Walking tour
- Information of all kinds, cultural, historical, religious, etc.
- Free Dutch cheese tasting
- All fees and/or taxes
- Tips on where to go after the tour
- Walking tour
- Information of all kinds, cultural, historical, religious, etc.
- Free Dutch cheese tasting
- All fees and/or taxes
- Tips on where to go after the tour
- Tips
- Tips
I am an official guide. On this tour, I will share the origins of Amsterdam, which trace back to the year 1000. During this time, farmers and fishermen settled in this marshy region beside the Amstel River, where they constructed their initial homes and the old Church. In 1275, a dam was erected on the Amstel River, eventually leading to the city’s…
I am an official guide. On this tour, I will share the origins of Amsterdam, which trace back to the year 1000. During this time, farmers and fishermen settled in this marshy region beside the Amstel River, where they constructed their initial homes and the old Church. In 1275, a dam was erected on the Amstel River, eventually leading to the city’s name, Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is among the most beautiful cities globally. Each day here is unique, with its culture, tolerance, and organization contributing to its special charm. The city has remarkably preserved its 17th-century form.
This preservation is the result of meticulous planning based on principles of conserving national heritage. My passion for history, architecture, and the development of this country turns my work into one of my hobbies.
The goal of this tour is to help you gain a deep understanding of this country, its culture, customs, and hidden gems.
- There are no child seats for children
- It is not advisable for people who cannot walk or have difficulty walking.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.